


Forbidden Fruit

by verhalen



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alien Rituals, Anal Sex, Angst and Porn, Autofellatio, Autumn, Birthday, Coming of Age, Cross of Changes - Multiverse, Daddy Kink, Dendrophilia, Elves In Space, First Time, First Time Bottoming, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gay Sex, Gift Fic, M/M, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Obi-Wan Drinks: It's Canon, Older Man/Younger Man, Qui-Gon Loves Trees, Ritual Public Sex, Sexual Frustration, Sexual Tension, Smut, Space Elves, The Jedi Code Sucks, Tree Sex, and not in the fun way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 07:07:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16342154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verhalen/pseuds/verhalen
Summary: Obi-Wan has been pining for his Master. The attraction is mutual, but Qui-Gon has been denying himself. Now it's Obi's eighteenth birthday, and Master and padawan are on a mission together. Can Obi convince him to give them what they both need?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chantress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chantress/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift for Chantress, written from a prompt she gave me. (I normally don't take prompts, but I make the exception for her.)
> 
> I take some liberties with timeline - in this story the fall of Xanatos happens well before Obi-Wan becomes Qui-Gon's apprentice.
> 
> The planet Yllen is shared worldbuilding with Chantress, and is mentioned in our [_Return of the Je'daii_](https://archiveofourown.org/series/673343) series.

Obi-Wan felt his Master's Force signature before he felt the knock at the door. Even when Qui-Gon tried to shield himself in the Force - as he had been doing more often lately, for some reason - Obi could still feel it if Qui was some meters away, or if he was distressed or anxious.

Or both, as was the case right now. Usually Qui's Force signature was a tall tree, sunlight gleaming through its branches, there were nests, it was teeming with life, and all was peaceful; when Qui was particularly happy it felt like there was a breeze rustling the leaves. But there was no sunshine this time, the sky peeking through the branches was grey, the air had that tang of rain. 

Obi let Qui knock anyway, not wanting to let his Master know that he knew he was there, lest Qui find a way to shield himself even more. "Obi-Wan," came Qui's voice outside the door.

"Come in, Master."

It was late, but not so late that Obi was asleep yet. He had been performing his usual nightly routine of reading - he was borrowing a book from his Grandmaster's extensive library, in fact, this one by a Corellian author, a fictionalized account of Corellia's ancient history, part of a series - and meditating. He had finished his nightly chapter, had washed up and brushed his teeth, and was about to meditate.

Qui opened the door and walked in. Obi was wearing pajamas, and Qui was wearing a robe. Obi tried not to stare at what he could see of Qui's smooth, muscular chest, swallowing hard. He wondered if Qui had anything on underneath the robe. He was glad that he had the covers pulled up to his waist, to hide the way his cock stirred in response to those wonderings.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you too much," Qui said.

_No, just disturbing me the way you always do, leaving me pining and frustrated._ "Not at all, Master." Obi managed a smile. "What brings you here at this hour?"

Qui also gave a small smile. "Mind if I sit down?"

Obi gestured to the chair across from his bed.

Qui sat, folded his hands between his knees for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then he said, "As you know, five days from now is your eighteenth birthday."

"As I know."

"Yes." Qui chuckled. Qui once told Obi that Master Dooku was in the habit of saying "As you know" to him enough times, reminding him of things that were already quite obvious, that Qui kept a running count of how many times his Master would say "As you know" per month; occasionally saying "as you know" got to be a bit of an inside joke between Qui and Obi.

"This is new and shocking information, Master. I feel as if I shall go mad from the revelation."

"Keep your wits about you, my padawan, for you will need them."

"Oh? Did you lose yours again?"

Qui gave Obi a look of mock annoyance, and then he laughed again. Obi loved it when Qui laughed, it not only lit up his whole face but seemed to light up the entire world. Obi felt that familiar flutter in his stomach, the flush in his cheeks... the ache in his balls. As much as he was glad to see his Master, he was hoping this visit wouldn't be long.

"From a certain point of view, I might have," Qui said. He leaned back in the chair. "In three days, we will be going on a mission. I anticipate that this mission will last at least five days, which means we won't be here for your birthday."

Obi frowned. "This is the day I'll legally be an adult on Coruscant. You said you would take me drinking -"

"I haven't forgotten that promise," Qui said, "it just won't be on Coruscant."

"But the party -" The Jedi were not for ostentatious celebrations, nonetheless Master Yoda usually liked to acknowledge when the padawans became adults, holding a gathering with food, drink, music, and a few small gifts from those who were inclined.

"Do you really want a cake baked by Yoda?" Qui raised an eyebrow.

"Er." Obi frowned. He'd been to enough of these events to know not to eat the cake, and he'd likely be expected to have at least a bite.

"In a way, I am doing you a favor," Qui said.

"I suppose." Obi shifted in his bed. "So... where are we going?"

"Our mission is to a planet called Yllen."

"Yllen." The word rolled around in Obi's mouth as he tried to remember where that was, and drew a blank. "I can't recall where that is, Master."

"Outer Rim."

"Ah, of course." All those obscure planets usually were. "I don't remember ever learning about it in classes about the different Outer Rim worlds?"

"No, you wouldn't," Qui said, nodding. "The last time any Jedi visited Yllen was a good... twenty? years ago. Yllen is not a Republic world, and every twenty to thirty years, give or take, a pair of Jedi is assigned there to try to convince them of the value of joining the Republic."

"It already sounds like we won't be successful."

"Likely not."

"So why even bother going?"

"On the odd chance that we might be. But even if we are not, I feel it is important to take you on this mission anyway. You may be an adult now, but your apprenticeship is not over yet, you are still learning, and there are some important lessons to be had on this trip."

"All right. Is there a briefing? Will there be hostiles?"

Qui reached in the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small infopadd. He handed it to Obi. "Those are notes and holophotos collected from the last Jedi Knight who visited Yllen, Master Anri Trekkal."

"I don't recall hearing that name before, either."

"No, Master Trekkal died three years ago. There's some information about Yllen and the Ylleni on that padd, but from a conversation I had with Master Trekkal before his death, he told me there is far more than what he was able to record. Nonetheless, this should give you a good idea of what to expect."

"Will there be hostiles?"

"Yes and no."

Obi frowned. "What kind of bloody answer is that?"

"The only kind I can give. As I told you, Yllen is particularly resistant to the idea of joining the Republic. A few of the Jedi to try negotiations prior to Master Trekkal met with rather unfortunate ends. They're not savages, but they can be savage if provoked, and we want to avoid provoking them."

Obi's frown deepened. "Why can't we just use the Force to sway them?"

Qui shook his head. "Yllen has a majority population of Force sensitives. Not only is using Force Persuade to negotiate not likely to work, but they would know what we were doing and that could end... rather badly. As importantly, there's a time and a place for using Force Persuade. It's one thing to convince someone who's actually doing something wrong, that they may want to choose a different course of action. But things like loyalty - whether to a system of government or just an individual person - must be given in sincerity, or any bonds formed will be destined to fail."

Obi suppressed a small sigh. _Don't I know it._ His Master would have already bedded him if that was not the case; using the Force to coerce him didn't feel right.

"Spend the next few days studying the padd," Qui said, getting up from the chair. "I will be giving you a small quiz on the way to Yllen."

"Is that really necessary? You can't just take my word that I will study it?"

"It's not simply about that," Qui said. "It's one thing to read information, it's another thing to let it sink in well enough to remember. I know you, Obi-Wan, and I know that when something disinterests you, your memory can be selective. For us to succeed in this mission - succeed meaning come back alive, here - I need to make sure that you're paying attention. Do you understand?"

Obi took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Yes, Master."

"All right." Qui made his way to the door. "Rest well, my padawan."

Qui stepped out then, using the Force to close the door behind him.

 

_

Obi couldn't meditate. Every time he tried to clear his mind, he kept thinking about Qui-Gon in _that damned robe_ , and his mind played "what ifs" - what if he had gotten up out of his bed, crushed Qui's mouth to his, and opened the robe, his fingers brushing exposed flesh; what if he'd pulled back the covers of his bed, letting Qui see how hard he was, what if he'd then pulled down his pajama bottoms and offered himself.

But he hadn't. Not merely because such things were not allowed by the Jedi Order... he didn't because he was afraid of rejection.

In the nearly five years of Obi's apprenticeship, Qui had never once expressed any interest in him, and surely across their Force bond he _had_ to know, somehow. 

And approximately three years into his apprenticeship, there was a moment that made Obi understand it was unwise to bring up the interest on his end. 

Qui had gone to the memorial site on the Jedi Order campus, to lay flowers at a particular stone; Obi had been following, and when Qui left the site, Obi went to see who it was.

"Who's Tahl?" Obi asked him, later.

Qui simply sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Master," Obi said. "You tell me it's important for us to always be honest with each other. This Tahl person... they meant something to you."

Qui sat back in his chair. "Tahl was one of my crechemates. She was my best friend, and later... more. We were intimate."

"Ah." Obi cocked his head to one side. "And she is gone now."

"She is gone. She was killed on a mission." Qui pinched the bridge of his nose again. "I did not handle her death well. I came very, very close to falling to the Dark Side in my grief. When Tahl and I were together, I thought the prohibition on relations was a stupid rule - our bodies have needs, our hearts have needs. Indeed, it's something I argued rather bitterly about with Master Dooku. You were too young to remember the Komari Vosa scandal, probably -"

"Who?"

"My point exactly." Qui cleared his throat. "Komari Vosa was my Master's last padawan. She... became infatuated with Master Dooku. This was obviously unacceptable to him, and the Order, and he arranged for her to be expelled. Komari Vosa is why he no longer takes padawan learners. I thought he was being too strict in calling for her to be removed from the Order entirely, and indeed, his entire lifetime of keeping everyone at an arm's length, barely allowing himself to even have friendships, let alone not allowing himself intimacy... well, that began the distance between us."

Obi frowned. "You never... had feelings for Master Dooku, did you?"

The look of disgust on Qui's face said it all, but Qui went on, "Even though he is only ten years my senior, he was a little old man when he was still in his twenties. I could never see him as anything but a father figure because of that. No, Obi-Wan, it wasn't sour grapes, my issue with Master Dooku was rather me projecting my own angst about Tahl onto him, and being angry with his perceived rigidity and perceived inability to sympathize with my loss. And after Tahl's death and my near fall to the Dark Side - which I'm sure influenced the fall of Xanatos, the last padawan I had before you - I had to finally admit that Master Dooku was indeed right in this case... there is no room for these sorts of attachments in a Jedi Knight's life. What is good and right for other people is not necessarily good and right for us. I loved Tahl. And in some ways, I still do and always will; I can't help it. But there has been no one since Tahl. There will never be another. There simply cannot be."

A pause and Obi asked, "Was there anyone else besides Tahl?"

"A few dalliances, men and women here and there... but nothing serious. And nothing since her death, for the reasons I just told you." Qui furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"I'm just curious." Obi frowned. "You know more about me than I know about you, and that doesn't seem right."

What Obi wasn't about to tell Qui was he had breathed a small sigh of relief at the word "men". Not that he should have been all that concerned because...

...about a year prior to that conversation, Qui had left an important infopadd out on the living room table, that he was supposed to be studying that evening. Obi, wanting to be helpful, brought it to his Master's room. His Master was frequently in the habit of closing the door when he wasn't in there, and indeed, Obi didn't think Qui was even at their quarters, he assumed Qui was running errands around the Temple. Obi himself was supposed to be at a lightsaber class, which had been abruptly canceled due to the teacher being in the infirmary. So Obi was tidying up around their quarters, wanting to do something nice for his Master to come back to, and there was the padd.

When Obi opened the door a crack, he immediately felt Qui's Force signature - Qui had been shielding himself for some reason. And when he poked his head in the door, he saw why.

Qui-Gon Jinn was masturbating. Obviously, this was something he'd want to hide from the Jedi Order, where he was already in trouble with the Council enough, never mind doing _this_. But it wasn't the usual masturbation that Obi-Wan himself practiced, and that he knew others practiced, taking his cock in his fist and stroking to an ejaculation. No. Here, now, Qui was completely nude, and Qui's legs were spread and bent towards his shoulders. Obi knew from their sparring and other Force exercises that Master Jinn was very flexible. Obi's jaw dropped as he watched the full demonstration of his flexibility - Qui was sucking his own cock.

Obi's eyes were riveted, not able to help it. Qui alternated between swallowing his cock to the hilt, sucking it hard, and then pulling back and just focusing on the head, kissing it, sometimes licking it, rubbing his tongue at the slit, appearing to enjoy his own precum. Indeed, the longer this went on, the more apparent it became that Qui wasn't just doing this as a form of masturbation that felt extra good, he was actually enjoying having a cock in his mouth, the act of sucking was just as arousing to him as the sensation it provided.

Qui was so lost in sucking himself that he didn't even notice Obi was there. And even though all of Obi's Jedi training told him _this is wrong, he shouldn't be doing this, you shouldn't be watching this_ , he kept watching until the explosive finish, when Qui came in his own mouth, swallowing as much as he could with a hungry "mmmmmm", cum spilling out of the corners of his lips down his chin. Feeling Qui's orgasmic release in the Force almost set Obi off as well, and Obi ducked out then before he could be discovered, quietly closing the door behind him as Qui dozed off in the afterglow.

By the time he got back to his room he was trembling from head to toe, and his Jedi robes were tented in a way that the bulkiness of the robes couldn't hide. He got out of his robes as quickly as possible and stroked himself fast and furious, to the most intense orgasm he'd had to date. It was all he could do to not cry out at the end, not wanting to alert Qui to what he was doing, or that he was even home and had seen what was done.

Since that time, that incident had been Obi's most regular masturbation fantasy, and as a hormonal young man he could masturbate to it four or five times a day at least. Sometimes the scene ended with Obi masturbating in front of Qui and Qui inviting him to shoot his cum all over him. Sometimes the scene ended with Qui opening those blue eyes and locking eyes with him, and using the Force to pull Obi to his bed, to finish the job himself.

A couple of Obi's agemates dealt in contraband they acquired on missions, one of which being spunkvids, an item banned from the Jedi Order for obvious reasons. Out of curiosity Obi had acquired a few of these - men having sex with other grown men - and sometimes the fantasy would change, where Qui would have Obi straddle him and ride his cock, or Obi would get on all fours, the two fucking like animals in heat. Sometimes Qui would continue to suck himself as Obi fucked him, in those fantasies. Sometimes the scene would be different, without Qui sucking himself, just getting straight to the fuck. But always, always, his fantasies were about his Master.

It had been that moment, three years ago, that changed his life, and brought what had to that point just been a crush, into full-blown obsession. Obi felt ashamed of himself, as he lay there trying to meditate, his cock twinging with need, and he gave in yet again. But _Force_ , it felt so good he didn't care, in those moments.

Dooku being a father figure to Qui had made it so Qui had never felt any interest in him, finding it too incestuous for comfort. But with Obi, Qui-Gon as his father figure just made his need that much more intense. He wasn't interested in the others his own age, he wanted a _man_ , he _ached_ to give his vulnerability, his trust, his surrender to the only father he'd ever had, that strong mentor, protector. "Daddy," he panted as he stroked himself. "Daddy, fuck me..." Bucking his hips, as if Qui-Gon's cock were inside him. "More, Daddy, more... fuck me harder Daddy..."

Screaming into his pillow as he climaxed, not wanting Qui to hear. "Daddy! _Daddy!_ "

When the immediate bliss of his orgasm subsided, there was just the emptiness, the loneliness, the cold reality that the fantasy could never be. Obi-Wan sobbed into his pillow, crying himself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_More, Daddy, more... fuck me harder, Daddy..._

Qui-Gon opened his eyes, his nightly meditation disturbed by the intrusion across their Force bond.

He knew Obi had been trying to shield this, had been trying to hide his attraction altogether, but Obi's shielding needed work - he was still a padawan learner after all. Usually, Qui just reinforced the shielding on his end, since these intrusions would be too frequent otherwise. But when he was meditating it was harder to tune out... and truth be told, he'd had a hard time keeping his own thoughts pure since leaving his padawan's bedroom.

Qui cursed himself under his breath, as he adjusted his sitting position, trying to ignore his hardening cock, the visions of Obi's fantasy playing across their Force bond. It took him every ounce of restraint he had to not barge into the young man's bedroom and make his fantasy a reality, at last. Indeed, it had been taking him every ounce of restraint for some time now.

He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, and recited the usual litany under his breath. _Emotions, yet peace._ Even though he knew Obi-Wan's desire was very real, and he definitely felt desire in return, his conscience still hadn't allowed him to do anything about it. 

It wasn't simply that it was forbidden by the Jedi Order - Qui-Gon frequently saw the rules of the Jedi Order as being more suggestions, and "because it's not allowed" wasn't good enough reason on its own to refrain from doing something. First and foremost, he felt Obi was too young for him - Qui was old enough to be Obi-Wan's father, if Qui had ever sired children. Obi hadn't really tasted life yet, he had been sheltered by the Jedi Order as all Jedi younglings were - Qui wondered if Obi would feel the same way once Obi had some life experience and saw more of the Galaxy. And there was also the feeling that he'd be taking advantage of him, somehow - he was the teacher, Obi was the student, he had authority over Obi, and that imbalance of power in the relationship gave him pause.

And more than that, it was because he knew, from the one relationship he'd had, how these sorts of entanglements could affect a Jedi Knight and interfere with their duties; after Tahl's death almost drove him to the Dark Side, where he came close to killing her murderer in revenge, he still blamed himself for the fall of his padawan Xanatos. He didn't want to be driven over the edge if something should happen to Obi, and more importantly, he didn't want Obi to fall because of him. The lad was already high-strung enough as it was.

There was also the matter of what Master Dooku would think if he found out. Not once during their apprenticeship had Qui ever entertained the sorts of feelings for Dooku that Komari Vosa had, or that Obi-Wan was feeling for Qui now. It would have felt incestuous in a way that was an automatic turn-off to Qui, ironically when he found himself turned on by Obi's cries of "Daddy" when he masturbated - Qui supposed he preferred to be the one in the older role. Qui was relieved that he'd never developed feelings for Dooku, after what happened with Komari. Despite their differences and the blow-out arguments of Qui's apprenticeship, Qui-Gon and his Master had remained close for years after the apprenticeship ended - indeed, Qui was one of the few people Dooku socialized with, being a solitary, introverted man who preferred the company of books. But then after Dooku's decision to dismiss Komari from the Order rather than hand her over to another available Jedi Master to complete her apprenticeship - as Qui-Gon had suggested - Qui felt Dooku had crossed a line of severity even for him, and there had been enough strain that Qui didn't visit him much anymore, somewhat disgusted by his Master's lack of compassion for the young woman, especially knowing her troubled history before she was taken in by the Jedi. Qui felt like Dooku would not only call for Obi-Wan's expulsion but his own, if Dooku knew about any of this.

And it was Dooku who had given him a strong moral compass. Dooku was an exemplary Jedi - he had never been anything but chaste to Qui's knowledge, and Qui knew his Master quite well; they still had a strong Force bond despite the years of near-silence. Like Qui-Gon, Dooku did not refrain from doing things because the Jedi Order forbade them, but examined why they were forbidden. In the years since Galidraan Dooku had become something of a devil's advocate on the Jedi Council, issuing strong objections to some of the Order's policies, and Qui found Dooku was a frequent ally of his in situations where Qui got in trouble with the Council, even when they otherwise had not spoken much in some time. Qui's ideals and ethics had come from Dooku himself, and it was why Qui understood that acting on his impulses with Obi-Wan would be wrong. Qui had, at times, even wondered if he'd in fact judged Dooku too harshly for severity and if he should call for Obi's expulsion or at least pass him off to another Master. It was knowing how he'd break the young man's heart and possibly crush his spirit that had kept him from going there. 

Indeed, so much of the past five years of Obi's training had been about building him up... and building himself back up as well.

 

_

_Five years earlier_

"Apprentice him, you will. A Master, Obi-Wan needs."

Qui sighed. "I've been over this. Why do you people persist in bothering me about it?"

"Available, you are."

"There are at least a dozen other Jedi Masters who don't have apprentices at the moment. Master Sifo-Dyas, as one example. You could surely get one of them."

"Hrmm, yes. But know him, you do. The other Masters know him not."

Qui sighed again. "I'll think about it." He of course was planning on doing nothing of the sort.

Yoda nodded and left, hobbling away, his gimer stick thumping with each step. Qui returned to his pruning in the greenhouse, until he became so frustrated that he felt the energy he was projecting might potentially be harmful to the plants - they knew - and he decided to take a walk around the Temple Gardens.

He wasn't alone. Dooku was good at masking his presence in the Force - it was where Qui had learned it from - but they had enough of a Force bond that it was difficult for Dooku to shield from Qui for very long. Or perhaps, Dooku _wanted_ Qui to feel that he was following him, this time.

Qui finally sat on a bench, leaving enough room that Dooku could also sit, or not, if he chose to do so. Dooku walked past, at first, pretending to not notice Qui was there, and then after making his way down to the nearby fountain to collect a cup of water - he never drank from the fountain directly, which Qui always thought was ridiculous - Dooku walked back and sat as close to the edge of the bench as he could, leaving a bit of space between them.

Dooku just drank his water, saying nothing. Qui finally initiated. "Hello, Master Dooku," Qui said.

"Hello, young Qui-Gon."

Qui was only ten years his junior, and Qui was hardly "young" anymore - he felt like screaming _I'm in my fifties, for kriff's sake_ \- but he held back. "How are you today, Master?"

"Doing better than you are right now, I think."

Qui wrinkled his nose. "Did Master Yoda send you to talk to me?"

"Why do you always ask questions that you already know the answer to?"

"Why do you ask me why I always ask questions that you already know the answer to, when you know the answer to why I ask?"

Dooku finally turned his head to look at Qui, just to glare at him. Qui glared back.

"Apprentice the boy," Dooku said simply.

Qui-Gon snorted. "That's rich coming from you, considering you're one of the Jedi Masters available and you have your own reasons for no longer taking apprentices."

"My reasons are more valid," Dooku said.

"Are they?" Qui pursed his lips. "Your apprentice just fell in love with you. Mine turned to the Dark Side and ran a crime ring."

"It was a bit more than that," Dooku said. "She took the heads of twenty Mandalorians to prove her 'love' for me whilst I was injured - the men who injured me, and their frends and family - when I had already discovered we were fighting the wrong battle and we needed to get out of there. I had fought under orders; her own motivation was revenge, which is, as you know, not the Jedi way."

"I didn't know that." A pause. "The heads, I mean. ...Not the bit about revenge not being becoming of a Jedi."

"No, you didn't. I don't like talking about Galidraan. I would not have even brought it up, but I felt it was necessary in this case." Dooku frowned. "There are also rumors of her activities since leaving the Order... a rumor that she is a cult leader now."

"I am very sorry to hear that," Qui said. "Though, if she had stayed in the Order, she might not -"

"If she had stayed in the Order," Dooku said, his voice on edge, "every man, woman, and child in this Temple would be in danger. It wasn't simply that she was dismissed for her infatuation with me - I would not have known about such infatuation if she had not behaved inappropriately, such as by taking those 'trophies'. It wasn't simply that I felt her being allowed to stay in the Order without consequence would set a bad precedence for future Master and apprentice expectations and codes of conduct. She was prone to instability and outbursts, that manifested in violence. If she'd been allowed to stay within the Jedi Order, it doesn't mean that her path would not have taken a similar dark turn. Indeed, it might have built upon the corruption that is already present here in the Jedi Order, in the Republic itself, and it might have created a disaster. I did what I had to do to prevent disaster." Dooku's voice shook, then. "At least Xanatos fell after his apprenticeship to you was already completed. You didn't fail him, the way I somehow failed Komari."

Qui waited a moment before speaking, seeing the pain in Dooku's eyes, when the rest of him remained that inscrutable iron mask. "Master, from everything I was given to understand at the tribunal, you did nothing inappropriate, nothing that would have encouraged her or fostered this. She felt how she felt, and you couldn't help that. I feel that the only way you failed her was by having her removed from the Order - I still maintain that was the wrong choice of action, and clearly we are always going to disagree on that. But if it is as bad as you say, and I believe you, there is nothing you could have said or done to stop her from this path. Indeed, you _always_ were above reproach, you set a good example for her. Me, on the other hand? Xanatos was there when I almost fell to the Dark Side. I still feel it influenced him."

"And yet, you were there when I had my own near-fall - when you had to talk me out of killing Lorian Nod."

"There's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

Dooku nodded. "Indeed." Dooku put his cup of water down and folded his arms. "When you almost killed the man who killed Tahl... there was a moment when I could have blamed myself, because you'd seen me almost murder twenty years ago... for different reasons, as you know, but the same place of raw emotion that is why we Jedi work as hard as we do to keep such things in check. But, as you know, you overcame that impulse. You continued to set a good example for Xanatos. Indeed, in coming so close to the Dark Side and conquering it, you set a very good example for him, one that he could have drawn on if he so chose."

Qui made a noise of distress.

Dooku went on. "But I also had to tell myself, when you almost fell... your actions are your own. Your responsibility is your own. You were no longer apprenticed to me, and had not been for some time, when all of that happened. If you had still been apprenticed to me, that would have been different, since the actions of an apprentice reflect on the Master. This is also why I feel you are not at fault with Xanatos. He was already done with his apprenticeship when he chose his path. The responsibility to keep on the Light Side of the Force was his own, not yours. This is the difference between what happened with Xanatos and what happened with Komari. She took her course of action starting when she was still apprenticed to me, and I feel - regardless of whether you or others agree with me or not - that this means it would be better if I not take another apprentice. She was still my responsibility, while she was apprenticed to me. Do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Qui made a face. Dooku glared again.

"Then let me spell it out," Dooku said. "This Obi-Wan Kenobi needs a Jedi Master, and he specifically requested you, because as you know, you were the one who brought him to the Order, and occasionally checked in on him." Dooku's lips quirked into an almost-smile. "In a way, it's not too dissimilar to the time I rescued a baby from a fire at a market when I was twelve and later made a promise to him that I would apprentice him as soon as I became a Jedi Knight, and did take him as my first padawan learner five hours after I was Knighted."

"It's not the same situation at all," Qui snapped. "I was practically attached to your hip when I was a youngling and you were apprenticed to Master Yoda. I've seen the boy less than a dozen times over the last thirteen years."

"It's enough to make an impression," Dooku said.

Qui made a face again.

"Look," Dooku said, "consider this. As you know he is thirteen, which is the oldest possible age a youngling can be taken as a Jedi apprentice. The reason why he has not already been apprenticed to another Master is not simply because he has asked for you, but because there are certain personality traits he has that other Masters would have difficulty dealing with - myself included - but you would know how to handle them, and even redirect them as assets rather than liabilities. And as you know, if he doesn't find a Master very soon, he will be sent away to AgCorps, which is what the Republic does with rejects from the Jedi Academy to keep an eye on them. It's not a good life; I've been to AgCorps outposts and seen for myself. You worry about Obi-Wan turning into another Xanatos if you apprentice him, but I can tell you now if you don't apprentice him, he's going to drink himself to death like the rest of the rejects from the Jedi Academy. And he especially needs you because he has been so discouraged by waiting this long for a Master, being rejected by other Masters, and some of the difficulties he's had thus far with being so sensitive, something that few other Masters understand or tolerate, but you _do_ understand. You have a good heart, and you have the kind of heart that he _needs_ to build him back up when he's felt more and more torn down. You and he both have the sort of sensitivity that the Jedi Order _needs_ to prevent another Galidraan, or worse."

Qui remembered that Dooku had often called his sensitivity and compassion a weakness; this was the first time Dooku had ever acknowledged it as a strength, and he could have cried.

Dooku's tone softened, as if he picked up on Qui-Gon's response. "As importantly, you need him. The wound you have from what happened with Xanatos is festering. Take one last apprentice, as an act of finally moving forward with your life, closing that wound before it infects the whole Jedi Order."

"I could say that about you refusing any future apprentices, yourself."

"Perhaps you could. But this isn't about me." Dooku got up from the bench then, taking his cup of water with him. "I wish you good day, Master Jinn."

_That's six "as you knows"._ Qui shook his head.

Qui went back to the greenhouse, and spent the next few hours continuing his work with the plants, thinking about it by not thinking about it. At last it was time for dinner, and after he'd eaten, he went to the section of the Temple where the younglings were housed, to knock on the door of the room Obi-Wan shared with other younglings. The boy answered, and the way his face lit up when he saw Qui was all the confirmation he needed.

"I will be taking you as my padawan learner," Qui told him.

 

_

 

Even when Obi-Wan had been thirteen, he was taller than his agemates, his voice was changing, and he was starting to grow a bit of stubble.

By the time Obi was fifteen - when Qui first started picking up on Obi's attraction - he looked older, at least in his early twenties. He had to shave his face every day to not grow a beard - padawans weren't allowed facial hair - and he had a thick growth of auburn chest hair. Between that and his serious, formal personality, Qui frequently had to remind himself that he was _only_ fifteen.

Which made things difficult, of course. If Obi had looked and acted like a kid, Qui wouldn't be feeling this way. He found it difficult to reconcile the handsome young man with the baby he'd brought to the Jedi Order, the small youngling that he'd occasionally said hello to, feeling a touch of responsibility for the lad; it was like a completely different person. Obi-Wan was not merely no longer a child physically, but he'd become a very attractive man - one that, if they were not Master and apprentice, Qui would not have hesitated coupling with once upon a time, before the fallout of Tahl's death made him keep it in his pants. Indeed, anytime Qui saw Obi-Wan shirtless it was all he could do to keep his hands off the younger man, wanting to pet the furry chest, groom it with his tongue.

Knowing that Obi ached for him as he did, was getting harder and harder to ignore - quite literally, too, as Qui shielded himself in the Force, relieving himself to fantasies of giving Obi what he wanted. "That's a good boy," he heard himself grunting. "Daddy's good boy." Even as there was the sting of shame to be responding this way, the hunger was too great, the release too powerful. As he watched the cum drip down his quilt, thinking vaguely that he would need to wash that, he felt a pit of dread in his stomach. The flight to Yllen would not be a short one, and being in such close proximity to each other might strengthen those desires even further. He thought about canceling the trip altogether, but everything he'd learned about the Ylleni and their Living Force traditions made him feel like he _had_ to go on this mission. He would just have to take the risks, and hope that the Jedi Code would be a strong enough motivator for them to behave themselves.

A part of him hoped it wasn't, and he felt horrible for that. Not horrible enough to terminate the mission, or the apprenticeship, just horrible enough to keep him awake for awhile. Feeling alone, feeling lonely, wishing for the first time in a long time that he had someone to hold at night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Obi-Wan, wake up, we're about to land."

Obi opened his eyes at the sound of his Master's voice, but it took a moment for the words to register. He sat up slowly, bleary-eyed. He looked at the timer on the ship - it was set to the time zone of the Jedi Order on Coruscant - and realized they'd been in-flight for eighteen hours. It felt like longer than that. Their shuttle had made at least two hyperspace jumps; Obi hated those jumps, it made him dizzy and queasy. It was also difficult being in a small Republic-issue shuttle, which felt cramped and, just before Obi slept at his Master's suggestion, downright claustrophobic.

But it wasn't just that the shuttle was cramped and they were in the middle of space and Obi couldn't get out and breathe fresh air and take a walk. It was that he was sharing such confined space with Qui-Gon. The shuttle had the cockpit and then in back a small fresher station and a bunk bed. Obi deferred to the bottom bunk. It was difficult to lay there when Qui was just a few feet away in the cockpit; it was torture when Qui was on the top bunk. Obi's hormones were screaming for relief, and he knew he couldn't attempt it with his Master so close by. The fantasy of attempting it and his Master deciding to help him out was driving him crazy.

Even though Obi had not been looking forward to this mission, he had never been so grateful in his life to see an Outer Rim planet. Yllen beckoned, growing closer with every second, a beautiful blue-and-green jewel in the sea of stars. Obi climbed into the passenger seat and fastened his safety belt as the shuttle began to sound a warning klaxon, indicating the ship had begun landing sequence.

The gravity in the ship got heavier. Obi felt like his brains were sinking into his spine and his gut was rising to his throat. He hated this. He tried to use the breathing exercises Qui-Gon had taught him, but he let out a pathetic whimper instead. Qui gave him a warm smile - he was always so understanding - and reached out to pat his knee. Somehow that made it better and worse at the same time; Obi's cock would have leapt to attention at the electricity of the touch if he didn't otherwise feel like the push of the gravity was about to make him implode.

They descended into the atmosphere of Yllen, and then there was just the landscape stretched before them. The tops of trees looked like a mélange of exotic vegetables, endless green with patches of red, orange and gold. As they got closer, about to land in a forest, Obi noticed that the trees were very tall. He was always impressed by trees. There weren't many on Coruscant, except in the Temple Gardens and a few designated parks. Obi had learned in history class that Coruscant was once heavily forested and it had all been cut down when the Coruscanti decided to build the first few levels of the city. That had been over a hundred thousand years ago and the lower levels of Coruscant were not even inhabitable anymore, so much waste had been dumped there. It made Obi want to weep, thinking about it. The forest surrounding them was lush, unlike anything Obi had seen so far, only having visited a few other worlds with his Master. It took his breath away.

"Yes," Qui said, nodding. "It gets better."

The atmosphere of Yllen was breathable by humans - indeed, the Yllen were a near-human species. From the holophotos Obi had seen on the infopadd, most Ylleni looked indistinguishable from humans except for pointy ears, and some of them had very sharp teeth. When Obi stepped out of the shuttle, his legs still weak and wobbly from the flight and especially the landing, he took a deep breath of the fresh air and could have wept with relief. It wasn't simply that it was fresh air after being in the shuttle for so long, but the air seemed _better_ somehow than it was on Coruscant. Obi had learned, from the few missions he'd been on so far, that there was a sort of smell on Coruscant that everyone got used to, but it was actually a very bad, rancid, putrid smell. There was none of that here. It smelled clean.

It felt clean. More than one Qui-Gon had complained about the Jedi Order being on Coruscant, saying it was one of the few things he and Master Dooku agreed upon - "it's too overcrowded, too congested. The land isn't happy and hasn't been happy for a very long time. We expect to study the Force here, but the Living Force is choked off, and so our connection to the Force will always be limited." Since Obi had been on Coruscant as long as he could remember, he had nothing else to compare it to, but now he had a glimpse of what Qui meant. There was a _quickening_ around him that made his arms break out into gooseflesh, made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. With each step he took, it was as if the ground beneath him had a heartbeat, pulsing. The air shimmered, and it felt like the trees were watching them.

It turned out it wasn't just the trees watching them. An arrow flew right at them, and landed just a few centimeters away from Qui-Gon's left leg. Obi's first instinct was to shove Qui back in the direction of the ship, but he couldn't move, frozen in place; Qui was frozen too. Obi watched as four figures wearing hoods and leather armor came out from behind trees in each direction, and then another figure jumped down from a tree, landing a few meters ahead of them.

Obi waved his hand, attempting to use the Force to Force throw, and the four hood-wearers aimed bows that were already loaded. "Do not," the figure approaching them said. "It will end badly."

Obi couldn't tell if the speaker was male or female. They had long brown hair, the same length as Qui's, violet eyes, and delicate features. They were wearing a purple robe trimmed with gold embroidery, which Obi guessed was some kind of special signifier, and that was confirmed as the speaker went on. "I am Temrakhi of the Leharin. As soon as we received notification that an unauthorized vessel was landing, the Khid Linnad were dispatched. You are Republic, yes?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. We come in peace, and with the offer of Republic membership. Who would we speak to about that?"

"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the reason why I was sent here with the Khid Linnad was because we have a history of visits from the Republic every few decades, and I was sent to give you the answer that we give every time: no." Temrakhi smiled; it was not a pleasant smile, and showed very sharp teeth. "You may go back to where it is you came from. You may also want to tell them to quit sending your people here. The answer will always be no. When your people cannot accept no for an answer it starts to look... rather aggressive."

"Let's go, Master." Even though the forest was pretty and the air smelled good, these people scared Obi and he didn't want to provoke them further.

But Qui just smiled and said, "Actually, I already knew the answer was going to be no, and I came here anyway."

"Are you a fool?" Temrakhi sneered.

"Perhaps," Qui said. "But honestly, it was out of genuine curiosity. The Master who came here before me wrote quite extensively about your world and it... fascinated me. I timed this trip because I have heard of the festival happening soon, for your autumn? I feel the Force traditions of the Jedi are lacking and there is a lot that could be learned from your people. If you would allow us to attend this festival, I would be willing to arrange for you to receive a shipment of goods from off-world."

Temrakhi's jaw dropped; they were clearly not expecting this. They looked around at the Khid Linnad poised with their bows, and the archers came forward.

"I will escort you to the other Leharin and they will decide," Temrakhi said. "If you attempt to overpower us on the way there, you will be shot or stabbed."

"I understand." Qui took Obi's arm and pushed him along. "Come, Obi-Wan."

They followed Temrakhi, flanked on either side by the archers. It was not a short walk, it was at least three kilometers if not four, from where they had landed the ship. They passed through a village, and in the center of the village was a meetinghouse. In front of the meetinghouse were a few statues and fountains, strewn with garlands.

They were brought inside and shoved into chairs. The Khid Linnad archers then stood behind them, with bows nocked in case they tried anything. Qui and Obi heard Temrakhi speaking to others in another room in Yllenish, and then another officiant came out, wearing a blue robe embroidered with knotwork and dragons. Where Temrakhi looked on the young side and of indeterminate gender, this officiant was old and obviously male, bald, wizened, with a very long white beard.

The old man just waited, and finally, cleared his throat, giving Qui and Obi an annoyed "I don't have all day" look. "Tell me what you told Temrakhi," he said in accented Basic. His voice was deep and gravelly.

"Right. I am Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. I have been informed your decision to join the Republic is still no. Making that offer was the official reason I gave the Jedi Order for going on this mission. The unofficial reason, and the one they would disapprove of, is that I want to attend your autumn festival. The Living Force is strong with your people, and not so strong with mine. I felt it was time to charge my battery, so to speak."

"And you? Why are you here?" The old man glared at Obi-Wan.

"I'm, er, his apprentice and I do what he tells me to do," Obi said.

The old man guffawed, and then he frowned. "You may stay to attend the festival," he said to Qui, and then he gave Obi a curt nod and looked back at Qui. "But if this one is not here by choice, that taints the ritual spirit -"

Not knowing what would happen to him if he was separated from his Master on this strange world, and not wanting to be separate from Qui, especially on his birthday of all days, Obi stammered, "I'm... I'm here of my own choice, sir."

"You just got through telling me you do what he tells you to do."

"I like it when he tells me what to do?"

That wasn't entirely a lie - and it was certainly true in his fantasies. The statement had been made innocently enough, but it was clear from the way the old man and the other Leharin laughed out loud that it was not taken innocently; Qui flushed a deep pink and Obi wished there was a large rock nearby that he could crawl under.

"Right," the old man said. "I, Serilo, Chief Lehar, hereby grant you outlanders five days stay on our world. You may travel freely except on private property and areas designated off-limits - there will be signs. There is a hostel nearby that is receiving travelers from around the realm for our festival, I will arrange for you both to share a room."

"Thank you, Serilo," Qui-Gon said.

The Khid Linnad put away their bows and shook Qui and Obi's hands when they got up. "Welcome to Yllen," they said.

They were escorted - this time only so they wouldn't get lost, there were no weapons drawn - to a building some meters away. One of their escorts spoke with the help at the desk in Yllenish, and then the Ylleni woman at the desk came out and said, "Right this way!"

The room had two large beds, a fireplace, a fresher station, and a kitchenette area. After they put down the luggage they'd been dragging from the shuttle for kilometers, they were shown around the hostel, which had common areas for socializing, a cafeteria if they wanted to eat communal meals, and there was a lake where they could go swimming though it was advised against at this time of year with the colder weather approaching.

Though Qui-Gon was eager to attend the festival that evening, Obi was still experiencing residual stress from the travel and being accosted by the Khid Linnad, so Qui decided they could stay in the room and go to the festival activities tomorrow night instead. Obi was simultaneously relieved and more stressed out by this - though they were in less cramped proximity than they had been in the shuttle, they were still sleeping in beds across from each other and there wasn't much privacy apart from the fresher. Obi felt so pent up with sexual tension that he felt he was going to explode if he didn't masturbate. There was the option to do that in the fresher, of course, but he could tell across their Force bond that already Qui felt a stronger connection to the Force here, and hiding that from him would be more difficult than usual.

Obi attempted to distract himself with a book. It wasn't working. He kept glancing over at Qui, who was listening to music on earphones and sketching on a tablet. The first few times Qui either didn't notice or pretended not to notice. Finally Qui looked at him and just chuckled. Obi's face burned; when Qui-Gon smiled or laughed it always made him feel weak.

"You should get some rest," Qui said.

"I can't sleep."

"You haven't even tried."

"I know how I'm feeling right now, and I'm too wound up to sleep still."

"You should try."

Obi grumbled. " _Fine._ " He put the book down on the small table next to his bed. Qui used the Force to dim the lights, keeping a small lamp on by his bed so he could continue drawing. Obi kept opening his eyes to peer at his Master, the way the lighting made him glow gold, somehow made him more attractive. Again, after several stares, Qui finally made a noise of disapproval.

"I'll turn off this light and attempt to rest myself," Qui said, and he did just that.

Obi was at once both grateful and disappointed. As he lay there in the darkness, he let out a small sigh. It was still some time before he could get to sleep, aching to go over to the bed across from him and show his Master what would help him relax enough to sleep. Wondering if he'd be rejected if he did. Increasingly he felt like he was at a point of no return, where he would have to make a move or forget about it altogether, and he'd been trying to forget about it for years to no avail.

Obi buried his face in his pillow. His Master was fond of telling him to trust the Force, that if something was meant to be, the Force would find a way of working it out. The Force was strong here - he wasn't quite as attuned to it as Qui-Gon was, but it was still a noticeable change. _If the Force wants us to be together, then it will happen here. And if it does not, I will accept that as my fate._ With that resolve, Obi began to do his nightly meditations, and soon fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mentioned Yoda incident is in a story called [No Good Deed Goes Unpunished](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7938889).

In the years since Tahl's death, Qui-Gon had returned to adhering to the Jedi Code, refraining from sexual relations with other people. But his body still had needs. 

During his apprenticeship he'd once had a very awkward conversation with Master Dooku about whether or not Dooku experienced morning erections and if so what did he do about it; Dooku told Qui that during his own apprenticeship to Master Yoda, the little green man had kept him ignorant enough of the subject that the first time he woke up with an erection he went to the infirmary because he thought something was wrong with him. Qui found the story hilarious, but Dooku didn't find it funny at all, and seemed rather ashamed. Dooku went on to say that since that time he meditated until it went away; Qui never had reason to doubt that claim. Dooku seemed asexual, not so much blind adherence to the Jedi Code but that was just how he was. It was easy enough to follow that part of the Jedi Code when you weren't interested in sex in the first place.

Qui was the very opposite of his Master in many ways, and in that way in particular. Qui found himself unable to just meditate to make an erection go away. And starting in his teenage years, he'd found himself aroused in some unusual situations. Qui-Gon was strong in the Living Force; he was well-known in the Jedi Order for having a "green thumb", an ability to influence plant growth and health with his command of the Living Force. The Order's greenhouse and Temple Gardens thrived under his care. What the Order didn't know was that Qui experienced a bit of an erotic charge when he was in the presence of the Living Force, and that "green thumb" was more of a "green cock". Qui believed plants and trees had some degree of sentience, could be said to have a spirit, and he believed this because of direct personal experience; plants and trees occasionally responded to his arousal. Qui had been sucked to climax by flycatcher plants; he'd been fucked by thick leaves as the plant's other leaves had reached out to brush his nipples and stroke his cock; he'd lain in a field of tall grass and let it caress him all over, teasing him to orgasm; he'd fucked trees. He only did this if the vegetation in question solicited it, usually indicating interest by moving in a way that couldn't be explained by direction of the wind or being disturbed by other wildlife, and there was a touch in the Force as it happened, an invitation. When Qui engaged in this activity he felt an increased connection to the Living Force - indeed, the feeling like he was having sex with the Force itself, pleasuring the Force, feeding it joy and ecstasy that it would recycle out to cause happiness for others.

Dooku had found out about this, once when Qui was nineteen and they were on a trip to Serenno, and found his apprentice pleasuring the Great Tree of Serenno. He disapproved, and indeed seemed a bit traumatized from seeing the young man he thought of like a son engaged in that sort of activity, but when Qui described it as sublimating his physiological needs and giving it to the Force, Dooku decided to not argue with him about it, and just never brought it up again. The only other person who knew of Qui's proclivities was Tahl, who encouraged it, and indeed Qui and Tahl shared some very erotic experiences together; Qui would never forget the time a vulva-shaped orchid fucked Tahl's pussy, bringing Tahl to a squirting climax that the hedge of orchids drank greedily, and grew taller and much more vibrant in color.

As Obi's apprenticeship wore on and it had become harder and harder to ignore the attraction Qui felt for the younger man, he'd been relieving himself more frequently. Qui had been feeling particularly pent up in close quarters with Obi the last couple of days, and feeling the Living Force thrum through the ground with every step he took here on Yllen wasn't helping matters at all.

As had been explained to Qui and Obi by Vereshya, their guide, the purpose of the autumn festival was to wake up the Ancestor Trees so they would protect the land and its people over the coming winter months.

"Ancestor Trees?" Qui was intrigued.

"When our people die, they are put in the ground and they become trees," Vereshya explained. "The very old can elect to have a ritual performed where they are transformed into a tree, so they go more peacefully, rather than in sickness and pain."

"That's beautiful," Qui said, and meant it.

Vereshya smiled. "Thank you."

Qui went on, "When my people die, we believe they become one with the Force. But here, on your world... it seems they become one with the Living Force, itself."

"Yes. Death isn't really death, as we understand it. We go back to the land that gave us life, so we can give life to others."

They were at the festival procession now, in a meadow leading out to a forest grove. There was a gathering area set up like a carnival, with market stalls selling food and various handmade items. There was a band with singers and different instruments; some of the songs were somber and reverent, and some more lively. There were people dancing with torches, spinning them. Here and there were masked men and women, wearing formal robes, who seemed to be guarding the space. And then as Qui and Obi passed one of the masked Ylleni, they called out, "You. Outlanders."

Qui looked over his shoulder.

The masked figure held out a flask. "Shienne. Drink."

Qui looked at Obi, and Obi looked at Qui. So far the Ylleni food and beverages hadn't done them any harm - if anything it was all of higher quality than what they were used to at the Jedi Order, and Qui was almost dreading going back. Qui had promised that he'd take Obi drinking on his birthday, he had planned to break out the liquor in the small liquor cabinet in their hostel room later, in fact - but this was just as well. Qui took a nip from the flask. It was certainly alcohol, and burned on the way down. He handed the flask to Obi-Wan.

Obi made a face as he drank; it was very strong, and it was Obi's first taste of liquor as far as Qui knew. The masked Ylleni encouraged them to drink some more, so they each had a few more sips from the flask, and finally Qui handed it back - it was strong enough that Qui didn't want to overdo it, especially for Obi's first time drinking.

As they made their way around the carnival, the alcohol kicked in. Obi had to lean on Qui to walk, and of course that physical proximity didn't help when Qui was already feeling a bit of arousal with the Living Force energies so strong in this place. In fact, his connection to the Living Force felt even more amplified from the shienne he drank. He was starting to feel the reaction of the land itself to this event, the frisson of excitement at the charge building, Living Force energies being fed to the land with the dancing and singing, and the land giving it back in return. No doubt, that frisson seemed to be affecting some of the Ylleni present, as Qui noticed a few couples and threesomes were stealing off to more secluded parts of the festival grounds to kiss and grope.

The near-feverish energy that Qui felt was having such an affect on him - and Obi's body leaning on his was just making it worse - that Qui decided they needed to go somewhere less busy. There were some Ylleni heading into the grove to pay their respects to the Ancestor Trees. As it was sunset and twilight was fast approaching, Qui took a lantern from one of the Khid Linnad stationed outside the grove. The grove also had some lanterns hanging in the trees, and strings of lights wrapped around trees.

The trees were a mix of deciduous and evergreen. Most of the deciduous trees bore a glorious set of autumn foliage, red and orange and gold; some of the trees even had purple fall leaves. But enough leaves were starting to fall that the forest floor was covered with them, crunching beneath every step Qui and Obi took into the grove.

As they made their way into the grove, Qui could feel Obi's awe across their Force bond, and he realized that Obi had only been away from Coruscant a small handful of times and had never seen anything quite like this, while Qui had decades on him and had been all over the Galaxy and had seen a wide variety of forests. Qui felt a pang of sympathy for Obi-Wan, considering him to be deprived.

Qui's first experience with seeing deciduous trees turn had been on a mission with Dooku when he was only twelve. They were staying at a farm and were assigned chores as guests. One of their chores was to rake up the leaves. Twelve-year-old Qui-Gon decided, upon seeing the leaf piles, that it might be fun to jump in them. He did, and the mess annoyed his Master, but it had been _worth it_ (and truth be told, the annoyance of his Master was fun too). Qui let out a wistful sigh looking at the scattered leaves.

"What's wrong, Master?" Obi asked.

"Not wrong, necessarily." Qui stopped in his tracks. "I have an idea."

Qui instructed Obi to help him gather leaves and put them in a pile, at the base of a particular tree. "Why are we doing this?" Obi asked. "Is this some Ylleni custom I don't know about?"

"No," Qui said.

"Then why?"

Qui stopped and gave him a look. "Now that you are older and we are going on more missions, my padawan, there will be times when I ask you to do something and it will be necessary for you to just carry it out without asking why, because time and our safety may depend upon it. You can consider this practice."

"Surely this isn't for our safety."

Qui smiled. "Pile the damn leaves, Obi-Wan."

When the leaves were in two piles, each up to Qui-Gon's waist, and the sky was blue with dusk and the first stars were twinkling, Qui said, "Good."

"What do we do now?"

"This." Qui jumped in the pile of leaves directly in front of him, and then, sitting in the leaf pile, he gestured to Obi.

"Master... that is ridiculous."

"I'm waiting, padawan."

Obi put down his lantern, took a deep breath, and then he jumped in the pile of leaves next to Qui. Some of the leaves from his pile flew into Qui's face, and Obi couldn't help but laugh, and Qui laughed too, just before using the Force to dump a small pile of leaves onto Obi's head. The look on Obi's face made Qui laugh uproariously, until he was silenced by a twig poking his ear; Obi gave a smug smile. He stopped smiling when a twig picked up off the ground and went for his nostril.

"This is still ridiculous," Obi said.

"Yes, it is." Qui nodded sagely. "I feel it is good for Jedi to not be too serious all the time. And you, my padawan, are much too serious."

"I have a lot that troubles me, Master."

"I've noticed." Qui pursed his lips. "You do realize that you can talk to me about things."

"I can talk to you about _most_ things." Obi sighed.

"No, Obi-Wan." Qui shook his head, and their eyes met. "You can talk to me about anything. Moreover, you _must_ talk to me about things. As I have told you many times, it is vitally important for a Master and a padawan to be open and honest with each other." _And of course I'm not practicing what I preach, hiding my attraction to him. And I am sure that's what he's hiding from me. I don't know why I'm inviting him to talk to me about it...?_ Qui wondered if a small part of him was hoping Obi would tell him and that it would result in sex, and he felt ashamed for wanting that.

Obi licked his lips, which didn't help matters; he flushed pink and looked down. "I..."

Before he could say anything, there was a cry from within the grove, some meters away. Qui and Obi looked at each other, their Jedi instincts immediately responding - it sounded like someone was in pain, and might need their help. Then there was another cry in the opposite direction. Qui and Obi got up from their leaf piles, and Qui used the Force to fetch the lantern. Before they could run to investigate, there was another cry in the original direction, and then more cries, and then a third voice crying out meters away in the path immediately ahead of them.

"What... what's going on?" Obi asked.

Qui made a motion for Obi to be silent, and then in Jedi sign language, made the sign for "mask", indicating that they should walk as quietly as possible, easier said than done with the leaves crunching on the forest floor beneath them. Nonetheless Qui and Obi tread as softly as they could. As they approached the nearest source of the cries, close enough to get a view but far enough that they weren't quite in range of being seen themselves, it became apparent why voices were crying out.

It had not been lost on Qui that some of the Ancestor Trees had phallic-looking roots sticking out, or branches closer to the base of the tree, and some of the Ancestor Trees had holes just large enough to be penetrated. Some had both. As the Ancestor Trees had originally been Yllen who'd transformed into a tree upon death, it made sense that the trees would take humanoid shape - Qui noticed bumps like breasts here, buttocks there. Qui had not been wanting to think about this as they walked through the grove - it was bad enough Obi was there, tempting as he was - but now, it was impossible to ignore. Just ahead of them, a man was thrusting his cock into a hole in the tree, crying out with pleasure; lower branches on the tree were caressing the man's back. Some meters over, there was another man riding a phallic-shaped root - looking closely, Qui could see tree sap dripping down over the root, and the tree trunk was also dripping sap onto the man's body, indicating a kind of arousal on the tree's part.

Obi's jaw dropped. "Er," he said.

It took Qui all of his restraint to not suggest they find a tree and enjoy themselves and each other. Instead he took a deep breath and whispered, "I think we should go back to our room now."

Every step back to the hostel was excruciating, with Qui's aching, throbbing erection. And not simply the fact that he was hard, but it was tenting his Jedi robes enough that there was no way to disguise it. Obi knew, and was trying to look away, but every now and again Qui noticed his glance stole towards the bulge in the robes. They did not exchange a single word until they were back at the hostel.

Qui let himself in the fresher right away, but instead of masturbating, he finally used Dooku's recommended solution of taking care of that by meditation instead. Qui felt like there was no way Obi wouldn't know if he masturbated, since everything felt so sexually charged. So Qui meditated, and did breathing exercises. But his thoughts kept drifting back to the tree fuckers, and to fantasies of him and Obi-Wan pleasuring a tree and each other. His hand strayed to his cock, stroking lazily. _No,_ Qui told himself. He continued to fight the urge, trying to meditate, but the connection to the Living Force just made it more difficult.

Qui had to think of something that would kill the erection. He could think of the sadness and tragedies he'd witnessed, but that seemed like it would ruin the festive mood _and_ negatively affect Obi across their Force bond, and he didn't want to spend the rest of the evening dealing with that. For some reason, then, Qui's thoughts went to a story his Master had told him, the time when Jocasta wanted to go drinking for her birthday so Dooku, Sifo-Dyas and Jocasta went to a bar, and after a few drinks, Dooku was surprised to see his own Master there, pole dancing in a thong. It wasn't just the shock of seeing something so awful, but considering how sex-negative the Jedi were, to the point of young Dooku not even knowing a morning erection was a normal physiological thing; it turned out later that Yoda had been on an undercover assignment to shut down the establishment. Regardless, the event had been fairly traumatic for Dooku, and though Qui-Gon had laughed uproariously at the tale - and the horror on Dooku's face - the mental image of Yoda in a thong was enough that Qui's erection softened, now.

When Qui was sure the arousal had passed, he let himself out of the fresher. Obi was already asleep, passed out from the shienne. He was still in his Jedi robes and was on top of his bed. Qui didn't want to try to change Obi into something more comfortable to sleep in as that would wake him up and it was probably better for both their sakes that Obi was asleep now, but Qui couldn't resist tucking him in. And when Obi was underneath the covers Qui just lingered at his bedside, watching his padawan sleep, thinking he looked adorable and incredibly tempting. He'd had enough shienne himself that his inhibitions lowered just enough to lean in and kiss Obi's cheek and tweak his padawan braid.

Somehow, touching Obi made him feel very sad. He knew some of the emotional intensity was just the shienne talking, but here he was again, feeling lonely and alone. Mentally berating himself for the feelings he had for the younger man, which were inappropriate, and even if they were not, could not be in the climate of the Jedi Order.

_Force, guide me._


	5. Chapter 5

Obi-Wan woke up with the worst headache of his life.

His headache was so bad that he let out an angry roar when his body woke up, followed by several moments of wordless whining as he tried to get back to sleep, making a cave out of his blankets, but there was too much daylight coming in. At last he sat up, continuing to whine. If there was some caf maybe it would help. What would help even more was if Qui-Gon did Force Heal on him.

Obi looked across the room; Qui wasn't there. Obi decided to get up and putter into the kitchenette, head pounding with every step. On the countertop that divided the kitchenette from the sleeping area in their hostel room, there was a note:

_I went for a walk. I'll be back._

This wasn't unusual - Qui went for walks often. Indeed, Qui had a bit of a routine. When they were at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Qui usually walked around the Temple Gardens. Though he tried to shield himself across their Force bond, Obi knew that Qui's morning activities not-infrequently involved "communing with the Living Force" by masturbating into a flower bush or something similar. And after the display they'd witnessed last night - Obi's cock started to harden just thinking about it - he was absolutely certain Qui-Gon was out there indulging in the sort of "Living Force communion" he wouldn't have dared last night.

Obi remembered his resolution from the night before last. _If the Force wants us to be together, then it will happen here. And if it does not, I will accept that as my fate._ He felt that nagging feeling in his gut that now was the time to test this.

He'd done enough research on the holonet that he knew he should clean up first. He'd passed out in his Jedi robes, without taking his nightly shower. From what he could sense in Force psychometry, touching Qui's note, it was fresh, meaning he'd woken up not long after Qui had left and thus he had some time to get ready if Qui was doing what he thought - _knew_ \- he was doing. So Obi departed to the fresher, got in the shower, and cleaned himself thoroughly. Once he was freshly washed and changed, he left a note below Qui's note in the event their paths didn't cross: _I went to find you._

Though many of the events of last night were a blur, lost in a drunken haze, Obi remembered the way to the festival gathering grounds, which weren't far from the hostel. He made his way into the grove alone. Though it was generally considered unsafe to go wandering alone in the forest over most of Yllen, the sacred groves were routinely patrolled by armed Khid Linnad. In any case, Obi had his lightsaber, and he trusted that the Force would fight with him, if need be.

What he needed, right now, was the Force to fight _for_ him. _Please. I can't take this anymore._

 

_

 

He heard Qui before he saw him - the familiar voice, moaning, groaning. Obi moved with as much stealth as he could. As he got closer he saw the back of his Master - and his Master's backside, as Qui-Gon, completely nude, rode a phallic-shaped root. Obi paused a moment, admiring the definition in Qui's strong back, the sculpted ass, and the deliciousness of his tight hole taking the root again and again. Obi's cock was already tenting his robes.

Obi got closer, and took one last pause, leaning against a tree, watching Qui continue to ride the root. He was close enough now that he could see more from a side view. One of Qui's hands was supporting himself on the gnarled roots sticking up from the soil, and the other was stroking himself faster and faster. His head was thrown back and his mouth open; Obi licked his lips as he watched precum drip down the length of Qui's cock.

When Obi was just a meter away, Qui stopped, feeling his padawan's presence in the Force. He didn't dismount from the root, simply stopped riding, and it took him a moment to look over at Obi, registering the shock of being discovered.

"Obi-Wan... what are you doing here..."

Obi walked forward and put his index finger to his Master's lips. His free hand reached for Qui's cock, his fingers brushed the slit and collected the dripping precum, bringing it to his lips to taste. It was divine. "I can help you," Obi husked.

"Obi-Wan." Qui took a deep breath. "We can't. We shouldn't. The Jedi Code -"

"How many times have you told me that we shouldn't just follow the Code blindly but think about the reasons for why we do or don't do things?" Obi folded his arms. "And how many years have you been alone? How much have you _suffered_ , denying yourself because of the bloody Code? Is that a Code worth following? How can you stand up for justice in the Galaxy when you keep punishing yourself?"

Their eyes met, and held. Obi could feel in the Force that, though stung by the truth of those words, Qui-Gon was proud of him for his challenge.

Obi went on. "If you truly do not desire me, and it has nothing to do with the Code and you just don't want me for whatever reason... I will accept that. But if you want this as badly as I do... damn the Code. Damn everything. I'm here, just _take me._ "

Qui hesitated, and in that moment Obi thought about just running off, regretting everything. But then Obi felt himself picked up off the ground by the Force and carried over. As Qui crushed his mouth to Obi's, Qui used the Force to strip Obi as quickly as possible, stopping just short of tearing his robes.

"What I need," Qui rasped, "you may not be ready for."

"I've been ready for years, Master. Fuck me."

The trunk of the tree was dripping sap. Qui reached out to smear it onto his hands. Then as he and Obi kissed again, he worked slick fingers into Obi's channel, one, then two, then three. His free hand slowly, lazily stroked Obi's cock. When Obi brought his fingers down to his cock to collect the precum and stuck them into Qui's mouth to taste, the last of his reserve was gone. He picked up Obi and sank Obi's body down onto his cock.

There was the initial burn as Qui's large, hard cock pushed past the tight anal ring; Obi breathed through it but gave little gasps of discomfort. Qui soothed him with kisses, first kissing his mouth, then kissing down Obi's neck, at last giving into his fantasy of grooming the ginger fur on Obi's chest with his tongue, kissing the place above Obi's heart once he was all the way inside.

"You're so big, Master," Obi breathed.

Their eyes met again and Qui took Obi's hands in his, and squeezed. Their Force bond seemed to be amplified with one inside the other. Obi felt exposed, vulnerable, but in a good way. "I love you," he said, and meant it.

"I love you." Qui knew that, now. All of his tender feelings, the moments of admiration, appreciation... he couldn't deny it anymore.

They kissed again and Qui took his first slow thrust. Obi gasped with the shock of being stretched... and then gasped again as the head of Qui's cock rubbed against his prostate just right. "Oh Force, _right there._ "

Obi wanted to ride Qui hard, to keep rubbing that spot, but Qui had other plans. He'd been wanting this too long. He gripped Obi's hips and kissed him hard, with another slow thrust. And another. He resumed kissing Obi's neck, kissed his chest, kissed one nipple, then the other. At the feel of Qui's lips and tongue on his sensitive nipples, Obi cradled Qui's head, moaning, stroking Qui's hair. "Please, Master," he cried out. "Fuck me hard..."

Qui just laughed and gave Obi's nipple a playful tug with his teeth, keeping that maddeningly slow pace. And Obi let him, because the slow rubbing against his prostate was incredible. It wasn't long before he was quivering from head to toe, breath ragged, making involuntary little whimpers at each electric brush of Qui's cock inside him.

Qui continued to ride the root of the tree, letting Obi feel across their Force bond the sensation of fucking and being fucked at the same time. Letting Obi feel the pleasure of the tree... the pleasure of the Living Force itself, rejoicing in this act of love. Qui coated his fingers with more tree sap and began to stroke Obi's cock in the same slow rhythm as the root-cock inside him, and his own cock in Obi's ass.

They fucked and fucked, slow and languid, lost in a haze of sensuality. The excited tension of their bodies wound to fever pitch, and at last they could no longer hold back. Obi rode Qui's cock with abandon, as Qui himself rode the tree-root in the same hard, frenzied rhythm. As Qui's balls slapped against his ass, Obi's voice rang out through the forest, loving the slap of their flesh as much as he loved the intense rubbing inside him, the feel of Qui's cock pulsing with each stroke. They badly needed to come, but they couldn't get enough of each other, couldn't get enough of _this_ , this act of mating, rutting, _claiming_ each other in the Force.

Qui's hand stroked Obi's cock as hard as he could, harder than Obi had ever jerked himself off. With one last hard, passionate kiss, Obi felt the tension in his balls give way, and he choked out a little whimper of "Master, I'm -"

"Yes, love. Come for me." Qui nipped Obi's lower lip. "Come for Daddy."

That sent Obi over the edge. He came hard, shooting all over Qui's chest and stomach as he screamed out, "Daddy! _Daddy!_ "

"Yes, Obi, yes, good boy..." One sharp thrust, then two, and Qui spent into Obi's ass with a deep groan. "Good boy."

Qui pulled Obi close; Obi buried his face in Qui's chest, the world spinning. As they throbbed together in their orgasm, they were so wrapped up together in the Force that for a moment it was as if they didn't know where one ended and the other began.

When the orgasm stopped throbbing and there was just the glow, Obi picked his head up from Qui's shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered.

Qui brushed his lips across Obi's forehead. "Thank _you._ "

They held each other for awhile, and finally got up and put their clothes on. Obi was a little sore from his first fuck, so Qui helped him back to the hostel. When they were back at the hostel, Qui carried him into their room, smiling as they crossed the threshold. "Here we are," he said.

Obi was put down on Qui's bed rather than his own, and Qui asked, "Tea?" Obi nodded, and Qui made them tea. When it was ready, Qui brought it over and sat next to Obi on the bed.

"What are we going to do now?" Obi asked.

"Well..." Qui scratched his head. "We could continue this, but we would have to be very, very careful. Nobody can find out, or there will be grave consquences. At least for the duration of your apprenticeship, the two of us living together means it would be easier to carry on."

Obi nodded. "Though we'd still have to shield ourselves."

"Yes. And we'd have to be discrete. No shouting 'I love you' from the rooftops." Qui smiled. "No shouting, in general."

Obi's face flushed, remembering how loud he got in the forest. "No, I imagine not."

They finished their tea and Obi said, "They're not expecting us back for a few days, yes?"

"Correct. So we can stay here a few days longer, and since we know the answer to Republic membership is already no, we don't have negotiations to busy ourselves with. We have a lot of free time on our hands."

"Whatever shall we do with all this free time?"

Qui pulled Obi in for a kiss. "I can think of a few activities."


End file.
